Shanghai, China— A crowded up escalator at Hongqiao Railway Station reversed direction without warning at 8:22 a.m. Tuesday, throwing passengers backward and injuring five as steps bunched and collapsed at the base.
The escalator, a 12-meter heavy-duty unit connecting the metro line to the high-speed rail concourse, was carrying morning commuters when a drive chain reportedly snapped. Passengers described a loud grinding noise, then the escalator shuddered and began sliding down. People piled at the bottom.
Five passengers suffered fractures, sprains, and lacerations. Two were elderly women who fell and were trapped under other riders. Station staff hit the emergency stop within seconds and pulled passengers off the steps. All injured were taken to Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital.
"I was holding the rail. The steps jerked, then went down fast. People fell on me. Bags everywhere," said Li Qiang, 34, who suffered a wrist sprain and helped lift a woman off the mechanism.
Hongqiao hub handles more than 300,000 passengers daily. The station closed the escalator bank and diverted crowds to elevators and adjacent escalators. Video from the concourse shows passengers scrambling to jump off as steps jammed.
Shanghai Metro maintenance said the escalator passed inspection in September and had no prior fault logs. The drive chain and brake assembly have been seized. The manufacturer, a joint venture firm, sent engineers to the site.
"The brake should lock instantly on reversal. If the chain breaks and the brake fails, you get a slide. That is what we are checking," a municipal safety inspector said at a briefing. He requested anonymity pending lab tests.
Escalator accidents have prompted stricter rules in China since a 2015 fatal incident in Hubei. Regulations now require monthly brake tests and annual load tests for heavy-duty units.
The transit authority said it would inspect all 42 escalators in Hongqiao within 24 hours and review CCTV for maintenance compliance.
The injured passengers are in stable condition. The station reopened the concourse by noon with four escalators still cordoned off.
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